The BLYTH'S REED WARBLER trapped and ringed on Fair Isle last week (photographed above - very top picture - by Penny Clarke - see more of Penny's images and some delightful extracts at her blog-site www.pennyshotbirdingandlife.blogspot.com) represented the first of the year in Britain, whilst the BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPER so well pictured by Ian Boustead remains for the best part of a week on site. Ashley Stow photographed Blorenge on a cloudy day but was pleased to see the Wentowwd Forest IBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF performing well.
With mid June rapidly approaching, the annual spring migration of birds is virtually over. Our star performer of the spring - the very confiding and sprightly first-summer male MARMORA'S WARBLER - continues to delight on its chosen moorland territory just south of Blorenge and NE of Blaenavon (Monmouthshire/Gwent border). It is still favouring the area visible from the lower car park at SO 270 109. Not that far away, the singing male IBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF is still to be seen in Wentwood Forest, at the edge of the clearing 125 yards south of the Cadira Beeches car park (ST 425 945).
The BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPER (superbly photographed above) remains in Cleveland, again frequenting the flood at Port Clarence viewable from the fence just west of the A178, whilst in South Devon, the BLACK STORK is still roaming, flying over Jurston, near Fernworthy Reservoir, yesterda
An excellent record for London - a singing male first-summer COMMON ROSEFINCH - remains present for a second day today. The bird is singing quite frequently but is extremely elusive and difficult-to-see and is present at Tottenham Marsh, immediately west of the Lee River Navigation and Lockwood Reservoir. It is commuting between the scrub just south of the Stonebridge Lock car park and bushes beside the busy A1055 and is primarily seen in flight.
The long-staying GREAT REED WARBLER continues to bellow out from its chosen clump of Phragmites at SK 453 416, in the NW lake at Straw Bridges NR, west of Ilkeston (Derbyshire), with the even longer territorial male WHITE-SPOTTED BLUETHROAT close to the Lyle Hide at Welney WWT (Norfolk). A male RED-BACKED SHRIKE appeared today at Buston Links, south of Alnmouth (Northumberland) following a male at Snettisham (Norfolk) over the weekend, whilst on the Isle of Wight, a male MARSH WARBLER continues to sing east of Newchurch cycle track in the reedbed just east of the plantation.
In Scotland, an adult COMMON CRANE is present for a third day in a bare field inland of Shell Bay at Drumeldrie, to the east of Lower Largo village (Fife) (at NO 453 022), with two Eurasian Spoonbills still present on the pools in front of the Starnafin centre at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB (Aberdeenshire). At least 11 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES have returned to Scottish breeding sites including a male visible from the viewing platform at Loch na Muilne, Arnol, on Lewis (Outer Hebrides). A LONG-TAILED SKUA has paired up with an Arctic Skua at a moorland locality.
Eurasian Spoonbills today include a party of 8 on Jackson's Marsh, Gibraltar Point NNR (Lincs) and another at Cley NWT North Scrape (North Norfolk)
A female RED-FOOTED FALCON was an excellent local record at Exminster Marshes RSPB (South Devon) - present from 11-13 June.
No significant news from IRELAND has been received in recent days. On the AZORES, a pair of KILLDEER have apparently nested - the first breeding occurrence of this North American shorebird in the Western Palearctic (per Alan Vittery)
The BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPER (superbly photographed above) remains in Cleveland, again frequenting the flood at Port Clarence viewable from the fence just west of the A178, whilst in South Devon, the BLACK STORK is still roaming, flying over Jurston, near Fernworthy Reservoir, yesterda
An excellent record for London - a singing male first-summer COMMON ROSEFINCH - remains present for a second day today. The bird is singing quite frequently but is extremely elusive and difficult-to-see and is present at Tottenham Marsh, immediately west of the Lee River Navigation and Lockwood Reservoir. It is commuting between the scrub just south of the Stonebridge Lock car park and bushes beside the busy A1055 and is primarily seen in flight.
The long-staying GREAT REED WARBLER continues to bellow out from its chosen clump of Phragmites at SK 453 416, in the NW lake at Straw Bridges NR, west of Ilkeston (Derbyshire), with the even longer territorial male WHITE-SPOTTED BLUETHROAT close to the Lyle Hide at Welney WWT (Norfolk). A male RED-BACKED SHRIKE appeared today at Buston Links, south of Alnmouth (Northumberland) following a male at Snettisham (Norfolk) over the weekend, whilst on the Isle of Wight, a male MARSH WARBLER continues to sing east of Newchurch cycle track in the reedbed just east of the plantation.
In Scotland, an adult COMMON CRANE is present for a third day in a bare field inland of Shell Bay at Drumeldrie, to the east of Lower Largo village (Fife) (at NO 453 022), with two Eurasian Spoonbills still present on the pools in front of the Starnafin centre at Loch of Strathbeg RSPB (Aberdeenshire). At least 11 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES have returned to Scottish breeding sites including a male visible from the viewing platform at Loch na Muilne, Arnol, on Lewis (Outer Hebrides). A LONG-TAILED SKUA has paired up with an Arctic Skua at a moorland locality.
Eurasian Spoonbills today include a party of 8 on Jackson's Marsh, Gibraltar Point NNR (Lincs) and another at Cley NWT North Scrape (North Norfolk)
A female RED-FOOTED FALCON was an excellent local record at Exminster Marshes RSPB (South Devon) - present from 11-13 June.
No significant news from IRELAND has been received in recent days. On the AZORES, a pair of KILLDEER have apparently nested - the first breeding occurrence of this North American shorebird in the Western Palearctic (per Alan Vittery)
